Top Lawmaker Suggests China and Russia’s CBDCs Are ‘Compatible’

A leading Russian lawmaker has expressed optimism about the compatibility of China and Russia’s Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and their potential for facilitating international payments between the two nations. Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Markets, shared his views at a CBDC-related forum.

Aksakov emphasized that the State Duma hopes international CBDCs will find active use in foreign economic activities, allowing the digital ruble, Russia’s CBDC, to be employed for international payments. He further suggested exploring options for system compatibility between the Chinese and Russian CBDCs could enable seamless conversions between the two digital currencies, potentially facilitating economic transactions between China and Russia.

To ensure a smooth transition, Aksakov advocated for a gradual introduction of the digital ruble, a model China has adopted in its approach to the digital yuan. China has been testing the e-CNY’s cross-border capabilities, indicating its readiness to cooperate with Russia on CBDC regulation.

The Deputy Director of the Russian Central Bank’s National Payment System, Denis Polyakov, highlighted the advantages of the digital ruble. He explained that the CBDC would allow domestic businesses to reduce costs, with payment commissions estimated to be as low as 0.3%. Additionally, ordinary citizens could benefit from quick, commission-free transfers using the digital ruble.

Despite positive developments regarding the digital ruble, the progress of crypto legislation in Russia has faced obstacles due to differences between the crypto-skeptic Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina and pro-industry government ministries. Nabiullina, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, has advocated for a China-style crypto ban and expedited implementation of the digital ruble.

While analysts project a full rollout of the digital ruble by 2025, Nabiullina aims to launch a real-world CBDC pilot by early August. Cooperation between China and Russia on CBDCs could lead to exciting developments in cross-border transactions and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.

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